Traditional Eggnog Recipe (With Rum)
- Preparation 20 min
- Refrigeration 4 h
- Cooking 10 min
- Servings 6
- Freezing Absolutely
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🎄 It tastes like heaven, plain and simple
This is THE glass of every holiday party and Christmas Eve, and this one is perfect! Creamy, sweet, foamy, light on the palate despite all the cream, with just enough dark rum to warm you up. Cinnamon, vanilla and ground nutmeg do the rest. Serve it in nice glasses with a cinnamon stick and watch your guests ask for more before they’ve finished the first one.
🥚 Old-fashioned eggnog, with whipped whites
Most recipes stop at the yolk custard. This one goes further, the way it used to be done: the yolks cook gently in spiced milk, then right before serving, stiffly whipped egg whites get folded into the cold mixture. That’s what gives it the foamy, light, almost airy texture you never get from the carton at the grocery store.
🔥 Low heat, and it NEVER boils
That’s the only real rule in this recipe. Once the yolks go into the hot milk, you stir over low heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. If it boils, even for a second, the yolks seize into lumps and you have sweet scrambled eggs. Take your time, keep the heat low, and don’t walk away from the pot.
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🔥 Low heat, and don’t walk away
Egg yolks set around 160 to 170°F. Past that, they tighten into small lumps and the custard splits. Keep the heat at its lowest, stir constantly with a wooden spoon scraping the bottom, and give it 7 to 8 minutes. If you own a thermometer, aim for 160°F (71°C), the temperature that makes the yolks safe. Once the custard coats the back of the spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean line, it’s ready.
🥚 Temper the yolks or they cook all at once
Never dump the yolks straight into the hot milk. Pour a ladle of milk over the yolks first while whisking hard to warm them gently, then pour everything back into the pan. Skip that step and the yolks set on contact with the heat before they have time to blend into the milk.
☁️ The whites, right before serving
Whip the whites to stiff peaks at the last moment, once your guests have arrived. Fold them in gently with a spatula, lifting the mixture from the bottom up, without stirring. Whites whipped too early deflate in the fridge within a few hours, and you lose all the foam that sets this apart from ordinary eggnog.
⚠️ The whites stay raw, and you should know it
The yolks cook in this recipe, but the whites folded in at the end don’t. For most people, with fresh eggs kept properly cold, that isn’t a problem. But if you’re serving someone pregnant, young children, older adults or anyone with a weakened immune system, swap the fresh whites for pasteurized egg whites from a carton at the grocery store. They whip a little less high, but they’re safe. And no, the rum doesn’t kill bacteria: that would take weeks of cold aging.
🧒 An alcohol-free version for kids
Just leave out the rum. That’s it, and kids will love it. If you want to keep a hint of the flavour, add a few drops of rum extract instead, it’s a great idea. For children, use the pasteurized whites I mentioned above.
📅 Getting ahead
This is the ideal party drink because nearly all of it happens the day before. The whole base gets cooked, cooled and kept in the fridge in a well-covered pitcher, rum included. The whites wait in a labelled container in the fridge. When it’s time to serve, you whip the whites, fold them in, and it’s ready in five minutes while the party is already going. The one thing you never do ahead is exactly that step.
🫙 Twenty-four hours, no more
Once the whites are folded in, the eggnog keeps 24 hours at most in the fridge, well covered. The cooked base on its own keeps a bit better. Don’t leave it sitting on the table all night: bring out one pitcher at a time and keep the rest cold.
✅ What to serve with my traditional eggnog with rum
A cinnamon stick in each glass, a pinch of nutmeg, and that’s it. If you want to turn it into dessert, a spoonful of whipped cream on top is perfect. For a holiday party with several drinks on the table, my sparkling eggnog with rum is the lighter, festive version, and my classic bourbon Old Fashioned keeps the guests who prefer something less sweet happy.
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Ingrédients
- 3 cups (750 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (250 ml) 35% cream
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ground nutmeg, plus more to garnish
- 5 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- ⅔ cup (130 g) sugar
- ¾ cup (180 ml) dark rum
To serve
- Cinnamon sticks
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Preparation
- In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean with its seeds and the nutmeg. Heat over low heat to a gentle simmer, take off the heat and let it infuse for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and creamy. Keep the whites in the fridge.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean from the milk. Slowly pour a ladle of the hot milk over the yolks, whisking hard, to temper them.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over low heat for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Never let it boil.
- Take off the heat and stir in the rum. Let it cool 30 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Right before serving, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks in a clean bowl, then gently fold them into the cold eggnog.
- Serve in glasses, garnished with a cinnamon stick and a pinch of ground nutmeg.
Milk, cream, egg yolks and sugar, spiced with cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, then usually spiked with rum, bourbon or brandy. This old-fashioned version adds one more thing: egg whites whipped to stiff peaks and folded in right before serving, which makes it foamy and light instead of heavy. That’s the whole list.
The base in this recipe is: the yolks cook gently in hot milk until the custard coats a spoon, which brings them to the safe temperature of 160°F (71°C). The whipped whites folded in at the end, however, stay raw. For most people, with fresh, properly refrigerated eggs, that’s not an issue. For anyone pregnant, young children, older adults or anyone immunocompromised, use pasteurized egg whites from a carton. Alcohol alone doesn’t make raw eggs safe within a few hours.
Dark rum is the classic and it’s what I use: it brings molasses and caramel notes that suit the cinnamon and vanilla. Bourbon works very well too, for a woodier taste. Some people mix rum and cognac. Three quarters of a cup for six servings is just enough to warm you up without the alcohol taking over.
Usually because it’s rich. Eggnog is cream, whole milk, egg yolks and sugar, and a big glass is a lot of fat and lactose all at once, especially on top of a holiday meal. People who are sensitive to lactose feel it quickly. Smaller glasses help, and so does this recipe’s whipped whites, which lighten the texture. If you’re lactose intolerant, lactose-free milk and cream work in this recipe.
Yes, just leave out the rum. The recipe holds up exactly the same and becomes a holiday drink for the whole family. A few drops of rum extract bring back a hint of the flavour without the alcohol, if you want it. For kids, use pasteurized egg whites, since the whites stay raw.
With the whipped whites folded in, 24 hours at most in the fridge, well covered. The foam deflates after a few hours anyway. That’s why I’d tell you to make the base ahead and fold the whites in only when you serve. I don’t freeze it: the custard separates when it thaws.
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